Telescopic camping trailer



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1950 INVENTOR ATTORNEYfi Jan. 8, 1952 c. R. ROGERS 2,

TELESCOPIC CAMPING TRAILER Filed March 25, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 5/ 4647 INVENTOR 55 5f; fZRBOjfiT'S 72 5: l 5 ZIZM FM ATTORNEYj '4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 25, 1950 ATTORNEYS Jan. 8, 1952 c. R. ROGERS TELESCOPIC CAMPING TRAILER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 25, 1950 IN VENTOR Patented Jan. 8, 1952 OFFICE,

2,581,556 TELESCOPIC, CAMPING TRAILER CurtR. Rogers, Gatesvil le, Tex. Appiiauon March 25, 1950, Serial No. 151,425

. 'l This invention relates to trailers.

An object of this invention is to provide a trailer of the collapsible body type embodying a pair of telescoping body sections which in their extended position will provide ample head room. Another object of this invention is to provide in a collapsible type trailer an improved means.

for extending or collapsing the body sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide in' a collapsible trailer body an improved bed structure which can be formed into a divan or a bed assembly with the assembly forming upper and lower beds of the double type.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved door assembly embodying a removable lower door section which is attachable to an upper door section carried by the upper body member.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation of a trailer constructed according to an embodiment of this invention showing the body sections in extended position.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the trailer.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the trailer.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation partly in section showing the body section extending or erally designated as M and I5. The upper body section |'4 telescopes over the lower body'section [5 when these sections are incollapsed position so that a relatively low height body or trailer will be provided which may be readily pulled over a highway without undue danger to the tractor vehicle. The upper body section I4 is formed of opposite side wall L6 and I1 and front and rear 1 Claim." ((1299-23) end walls 3 and I9. A roof 20 is mounted over the side and end walls. The lower section l5 comprises opposite side walls 2| and 22 and front and rear end walls 23 and 24. Pairs of vertically disposed interlocking guide members 25 and 26 are carried by the opposite side and opposite end walls of the upper and lower sections so that these sections may be readily moved upwardly to extended position or moved downwardly to a retracted or collapsed position. The upper section I4 is. adapted to be raised or lowered by means of pairs of gears 21 and 28 which are disposed one pair at each end of the upper section and are secured to rear and front gear shafts 29 and 30. The shaft 29 is journalled in bearings 3| which are secured to the rear wall I9 of the upper section, and shaft 3|] is journalled in bearings 32 which are fixed to the front wall |8 of the upper section.

The rear wall 2| of the lower section has secured thereto a pair of vertically disposed toothed racks 33 which are fixed to the end wall 2|, and the rear gears 2'! mesh with the racks 33. The front wall 23 of the lower section has secured thereto a pair of vertically disposed toothed racks 34 with which the gears 28 mesh. Vertically disposed outwardly projecting fianges 35 and 36 are carried by the racks 33 and 34 at their inner edges to maintain the gears 27 and 28 on the racks 33 and 34, respectively.

A longitudinal shaft 31 is journalled in bearings 38 which are carried by the side walls I1, and the shaft 3? has secured to the forward end thereof a bevel gear 39 meshing with a bevel gear 40 secured to the adjacent end of the front shaft 30. A second gear 4| is secured to the rear end portion of the shaft 31 and meshes with a bevel gear 42 which is fixed to the rear shaft 29. The shaft 31 projects rearwardly from the bevel gear 4| and is provided with a transversely disposed pin Or key 43 with which a crank handle may be engaged so that shaft 31 may be manually rotated to rotate shafts 29 and 30 in unison.

There is a pawl shaft 44 at the rear end of the upper section l4 which is rockably mounted in bearings 45 projecting downwardly from the bearings 3|, and the pawl shaft 44 has fixed thereto a pair of pawls 46 which are spring pressed to a rack engaging position by means of a spring 41 engaging about the shaft 44. The shaft 44 has fixed thereto a disc shaped keeper 43 formed with a pair of notches 49 and 50 for receiving a locking bolt 5| which is slidable in a housing 52 and is movable inwardly to engage in either one of the notches 49 or 50 which is disposed in align+ ment with a bolt 5|. The bolt 5| has a loop or handle 53 secured thereto so that this bolt may be moved inwardly to either lock the pawl shaft against rotation with the pawls 46 engaging the racks 33 or to lock the pawl shaft 44 in a position with the pawls 46 disengaged from the racks 33. The Side wall 16 of the upper section i4 is provided with a closure or door opening 54 which is adapted to be closed by means of a hinged door The lower section is formed with a door or closure opening 59 which is adapted to be closed by a hinged door or closure 58 carried by the upper section 54. in extended position as shown in Figure 1 a lower screen panel El is adapted to be secured to the upper panel or door 58 by means of innerrandl outer hook shaped locking members 59 which When the body sections are 9 in the present instance are carried by the upper panel 53 and are adapted to engage bolts 60 carried by the lower panel or door 571 and to 'be' secured to the bolt 66 by '-wing'nuts"6i.* The lower section it has one or more window panels 6'2 hingedly secured thereto, andthe upper section l4 has one or'more-window panels 33 hinged- 1y secured thereto; These; window pane-1s may be secured to the opposite side andopposite end walls of the body sections.

The loweybody section has disposed in the rear portion thereof a- -lower bed frameli i which is of rectangular configuration in plan and is formed of anouter angle shaped frame having 'secured thereto'slats $8. the lower bed frame 64 is adapted to engage on the upper side of wheel well 63's, and therear secured together by hinge means i2, and the rear frame section it! is hingedly securedto the upper portion of the rear wall 24 by hinge means 13.

, The opposite side walls of the lower section 15 have secured thereto-inwardly projecting braok ets or lugs Ed upon which the forward portion of the rear frame section l!) are adapted to engage, and a second pair of inwardly projecting supporting lugs 'lb project from the side walls of the lower section i5 and are adapted to engage beneaththe forward portion of the forward frame section H. 7

A pair of mattresses i8 is adapted to engage on the upper side of each of the frame sections it! and "H, and the mattress engaging on the forward frame section'li' isheld thereon against outward movement by means of holding straps Tl which engage over the forward mattress and engage through loops or eyes l8 and i9 projecting upwardly from the front and rear sides of the frame section H; The upper bed struc- The forward portion of 1 '4 forward framesection II will be locked in the vertically inclined position to form the back wall of a divan.

In the use of this trailer structure when the trailer is being moved over a highway the upper section I4 is lowered to a telescoping, position over the lower section l5. This accomplished by partailly-rotating shaft 31 to elevate the upper section I4 until dogs'or pawls 46 are released from the racks 33. At this time the locking bolt 5i is moved inwardly into keeper notch 53 so that a pawl shaft 44 will be held against rotation under at thistime pawl shaft 44 will'be' unlocked so that the pawls 46 may freely ratchet onthe teeth of the racks 33. u initially raised the door or closure 55 carried by the upper section I4 is swung to an open posi tion as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and the lower panel 51 which may be either a screenor a solid,

- panel is detachably secured on the ;lower edge of the upper panel or door member 58. r j I I The trailer body sections hereinbefore described may be formed out of panel wood which will i producea'relatively strong wall structure, and, at the same time, the wall structure will be relatively light in weight so that thetrailer will" not be an undue dragon the tractor vehicle. What is claimed is;

A trailer comprising upper and lower te escop ingbody sections, wheels carried by said 7 7 section, a pair of horizontal shafts disposed one at each end of said upper section, bearings for said shafts fixedrto said upper section, a longitudinal shaft rotatably. carried by said upper section, gears-connecting said longitudihalshait with, said pairti shafts, a pan-er vertically disposedftoothed racks disposed one'pai'r'at each end'of said lower section and fixed to. thelatter, apair of toothed wheels fixed to each of said pair of shafts and meshing with said racksa spring-pressed pawl shaft at each end of said upper section, a pair of pawls carried by each pawl shaft engaging said racks, and means latching said pawl shafts in pawlreleasedposltion,

ture 69 may be collapsedto provide a divan in cooperation with a mattress Bl! which is positioned on the lower bed frame 64 by raising the two frame sections it and '1! so that the forward frame section M will be disposed rearwardly of the supporting lugs 75 and then dropping, the

front frame section T! with the mattress 16 secured thereto to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. t

a A pair of inwardly projecting lugs 8i are car ried by the'opposite side walls of the lower sectio'n l5 and hooks 82 carried by the frame section II are engageable with the lugs 8| so that the position.

said last mentioned means including adi'sshaped keeper having a pair of notches therein mounted on said pawl shaft, and a locking bolt mounted adjacent said disc selectively to lock said shaft in pawl engaged or pawl disengaged CURT R. ROGERS,

REFERENo s CITED ,The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

When the upper-section l4 

